A MAN has been jailed for committing two robberies in Reading, following a Thames Valley Police operation.
Wayne Mcleod, aged 45, of HMP Coldingley, was sentenced to three and a half years in prison at Reading Crown Court after a jury found him guilty of two counts of robbery on Thursday, November 10.
At around 6.55pm on Saturday, June 4, Mcleod entered the Corals betting shop in Erleigh Road armed with an item described as a “wooden shank,” a wooden stick shaven to a point.
He proceeeded to make verbal threats towards the lone member of staff behind the counter, a man in his twenties.
The offender took a quantity of cash from the till and left.
At around 4pm the next day, Sunday, June 5, Mcleod made verbal threats to a member of staff, who was working alone, at the till in the Co-operative, also in Erleigh Road.
He forced the victim, also a man in his twenties, to hand over a quantity of cash from the till.
Officers arrested Mcleod on Monday, June 6, and he was charged the following day.
Detective Constable Abi Carver, of the Priority Crime Team based at Reading police station, said: “Wayne Mcleod targeted shop workers working alone for his robberies, for one of which he was armed.
“We will never tolerate such criminality within Reading and the wider Thames Valley so I am pleased Mcleod has been brought to justice.”
